Go Forth North, Warren’s Jitterbug split dead-heat win in Del Mar’s Sandy Blue Handicap
By APFriday, August 20, 2010
Two fillies finish first in dead heat at Del Mar
DEL MAR, Calif. — Three-year-old fillies Go Forth North and Warren’s Jitterbug hit the wire at the same time Friday to split a victory in the $87,675 Sandy Blue Handicap in just the fourth dead heat for first in the history of Del Mar and the first since 1973.
Long shot Go Forth North, ridden by Omar Berrio, and Warren’s Jitterbug, ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, both sat at the back of the eight-filly field in the early going before rallying in the stretch, covering one mile on turf in 1:34.27.
Stewards couldn’t see a clear winner in the finish photo and declared the race a dead heat. The favorite, Fortunia, was a head behind the victors in third.
Go Forth North paid $13, $10 and $5.60. Warren’s Jitterbug paid $6.20, $5 and $3.20. Fortunia paid $3.60.
A daughter of North Light, Go Forth North has won twice in eight starts.
Warren’s Jitterbug, trained by Jorge Gutierrez, has won three times in 13 races.
The track’s previous dead heats for win came in the 1946 Bing Crosby Handicap, the 1968 Del Mar Derby, and the second division of the 1973 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.
